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Moving

Enjoy your new home clutterfree

When was the last time you’ve moved? For us, moving into a new home is generally during the warmer month, that is spring and summer. Temperatures were more conducive for the movers. You didn’t have to worry about your items waiting to be put on the moving van in the rain or worse snow. For many families, moving often means changing schools and to reduce the impact on children, the long summer is the ideal time.

Even out here, where temperatures are getting a tad too hot for us, moving seems to concentrate on 2 months: July and August! So who wants to take all their junk with them to their new home? Not us! This week, let’s look at decluttering before you’ll move.

Prepare to downsize

Downsizing has been a common process for seniors. Many seniors found it difficult to maintain their house and garden or struggled getting upstairs. Moving into a retirement home, often only consisting of one room, or a smaller apartment were often the answer. In recent years, more and more younger folks are also downsizing – voluntarily.

After long discussions, we’ll be downsizing this summer, too. Over the last few months, we’ve started the process and are letting go of even more items.

Think ahead till the end

“Think a step ahead!” One of my old colleagues used to say it all the time and she was extremely proud to be at least one step ahead of everyone else. Indeed, thinking ahead can have numerous advantages as colleagues, friends and I have discovered over the years.

5 ways to send your friend off to their new adventure

Chances are you have a friend who moved to a different city since you’ve met them. If you’re in the Middle East, this chance seems to go up substantially and many families are using the summer to relocate. Earlier in the year, two good friends told me they’d be moving back to their home country. I was shocked! If you’ve met me, you know I can be built very close to the water and these days, can cry for every possible occasion (tears of joy included).

3 top tips before you start looking for a new home

One of my clients approached me to support them in finding a new home. They are short of time and asked me to pre-view suitable houses for them. Now, I’m not a real estate agent and generally don’t offer this service. This time, I said yes and will share their and my experiences in a mini-series with you (with their approval, of course).

Before you evening start calling landlords and agents for a viewing, gain clarity of what you are looking for. These 3 tips will be of substantial help during this potentially very stressful period:

Congratulations! You’ve found your new home, decided on the moving day and are… anxious about the stress over the next few weeks? Don’t be! In the last post, I’ve helped you with an easy checklist: Things you need to do in your current (old) home before the moving day. Now, let’s focus on your new home. These tips will help you stay organised and relaxed during such this major event.

By now, I’ve moved 25 times across 3 different continents. Most of my moves occurred during the summer and many families are also using the end of the school year to move houses. Moving is never an easy undertaking: the heat, Ramadan, the never ending paper work, the hassle until you can settle in and feel at home. It all takes time and energy. Yet, the more prepared you are, the easier and stress-free the move will be. Take the pain out by following this simple checklist, which also includes tips for Dubai based readers: